Unlock instant, AI-driven research and patent intelligence for your innovation.

Dummy process and polishing-pad conditioning process for chemical mechanical polishing apparatus

a technology of mechanical polishing apparatus and conditioning process, which is applied in the field of dummy process and polishing pad conditioning process suitable for chemical mechanical polishing, can solve the problems of increasing the cost of the already expensive cmp process, and achieve the effect of reducing production cos

Active Publication Date: 2005-07-05
POWERCHIP SEMICON MFG CORP
View PDF3 Cites 8 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a dummy process and a polishing-pad conditioning process for a CMP apparatus to reduce production costs. The dummy process involves attaching a wafer to a dummy wafer or sheet-like substrate and moving the wafer supporting assembly to make the bottom surface of the retaining ring more protrusive than the bottom surface of the wafer. The polishing-pad conditioning process involves attaching the wafer to the dummy wafer, moving the polishing head and conditioner onto the polishing pad, and pressing down the base to make the retaining ring contact the polishing pad and the wafer does not contact the polishing pad. These processes effectively avoid the need for a large number of dummy wafers and reduce production costs.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, a large number of dummy wafers are required for maintaining a conventional CMP apparatus, and these dummy wafers must be coated with a membrane prior to its use in a dummy polishing process.
Apparently, a large number of dummy wafers are required, which would undoubtedly increase the costs of the already expensive CMP process.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Dummy process and polishing-pad conditioning process for chemical mechanical polishing apparatus
  • Dummy process and polishing-pad conditioning process for chemical mechanical polishing apparatus
  • Dummy process and polishing-pad conditioning process for chemical mechanical polishing apparatus

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0025]the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIGS. 2A and 2B show functional relationship of a polishing head and a wafer during a dummy process. Referring to FIG. 2A, a CMP apparatus including a polishing head 200, a polishing table 220 and a polishing pad 222 is provided. The polishing pad 222 is disposed on the polishing table 220. The polishing head 200 includes a protective hood 202, a base 204, a retaining ring 206 and a wafer supporting assembly 208. The base 204 is below the protective hood 202, the retaining ring 206 is fixed around the rim of the base 204, the wafer supporting assembly 208 is located below and in a distance from the base 204, and a wafer receiving recess 209 is defined by an inner surface of the retaining ring 206 and the wafer supporting assembly 208. In addition, an external pump (not shown) can be connected to the polishing head 200 of the CMP apparatus to remove a fluid (e.g., a gas) from the polishing head 200. Further, ...

second embodiment

[0032]According to another embodiment of the present invention, a polishing-pad conditioning method suitable for a CMP apparatus is provided. FIG. 3 shows a functional relationship of a polishing head and a wafer during a conditioning process of a CMP process according to the present invention.

[0033]Referring to FIG. 3, the CMP polishing apparatus used in this embodiment is the same as that shown is FIG. 2A except for an additional use of a conditioner 300. Usually, when the CMP process is carried out for a certain period of time, a conditioning step will be performed for conditioning the polishing pad 222. Before performing the conditioning steps, a wafer 20 is attached to the attaching surface 212 in the wafer receiving recess 209. Then, the wafer supporting assembly 208 is moved up to make the bottom surface of the retaining ring 206 more protrusive than the bottom surface of the wafer 20. The polishing head 200 and the conditioner 300 are then moved onto the polishing table 220 ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

PropertyMeasurementUnit
flow rateaaaaaaaaaa
pressureaaaaaaaaaa
distanceaaaaaaaaaa
Login to View More

Abstract

A dummy process and a polishing-pad conditioning process suitable for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is provided. The CMP apparatus includes a polishing head, a polishing table, and a polishing pad. The polishing head includes a protective hood, a base, a retaining ring and a wafer supporting assembly. The wafer is attached to an attaching surface in the wafer receiving recess. Next, the wafer supporting assembly is moved to make the bottom surface of the retaining ring more protrusive than the bottom surface of the wafer such that the wafer does not contact the surface of the polishing pad. Accordingly, the need for a large number of dummy wafers can be effectively avoided.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 93102263, filed Feb. 2, 2004.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, and more particularly to a dummy process and a polishing-pad conditioning process suitable for a CMP apparatus.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]With continuous reduction in size of semiconductor devices, resolution of photolithographic exposure in semiconductor fabrication processes has been enhanced, and consequently, with decrease of depth-of-focus of exposure, requirements on smoothness of the surface of wafers has accordingly become more stringent. Typically, planarization of wafers is usually accomplished in a CMP process. CMP process have a distinctive feature of anisotropic polishing and thus is suitable not only for planarization on outer surface of wafers but also for f...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B24B37/04B24B53/007B24B37/00B24B37/30B24B37/32B24B53/017B24B53/02H01L21/304
CPCB24B53/017B24B37/042
Inventor WANG, TA-JENCHUANG, CHI-HAOWU, CHENG-HSIANG
Owner POWERCHIP SEMICON MFG CORP